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Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops

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The others who have reviewed this book have said little beyond the fact they haven't really read it. Not Since Carrie is not, in any way, about gossip, unless you consider the published words of dozens of theatre critics and statements from those involved with the works in question gossip. The story of some of Broadway's greatest musical flops is told through the people that were there--the stars, the composers, and even an important element, the audience, as represented by Mr. Mandelbaum. He has done his homework, and has created a brilliant, must-have book for any theatre enthusiast's library.

I've often speculated that the true sign of a musical theater aficionado is when one puts Les Miz and Phantom behind them and begins to find allure in the world of the flops. If that's the case, then certifiable musical theater queens need this book for reference. For anyone who believes the shows that didn't make it are more fascinating, this book is for you. A lot IS based on the author's opinions, but I nevertheless find myself reading this book over and over again. If you are someone who would rather learn about the genesis and failure of "Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge" rather than the success of "Annie," then buy this book!!

"Not Since Carrie: 40 Years of Broadway Musical Flops," by Ken Mandelbaum, is a fascinating look at its title subject. Mandelbaum breaks this vast collection of flops into a number of categories--star flops, flops based on movies, "missed opportunities," etc. One particularly intriguing section of the book is Chapter 5, "Don't Let This Happen to You"; here the author gives a list of rules to follow in order to avoid creating a flop. Example, rule #9: "Don't do sequels" (such as "Annie 2").

Mandelbaum's prose is clear, authoritative, and often appropriately biting. Many accounts of flops stand out as particularly fascinating--Peter Allen's disastrous "Legs Allen," the aforementioned "Annie 2," etc. The book is full of black-and-white photographs--playbill covers, shots of the performers, promotional art. This gives the book great visual appeal. Some of the musicals described are almost too bizarre to be believed (such as "Into the Light," a show about the Shroud of Turin).

Mandelbaum opens and closes the book with spellbinding in-depth sections on "Carrie" the musical, complete with photos. This helps give the book as a whole a satisfying structure. Indeed, "Not Since Carrie" ultimately reads like a vast multigenerational epic--at times funny, absurd, and/or tragic.

Not Since Carrie: 40 Years of Broadway Musical Flops' is a fascinating, highly entertaining retrospective of the Broadway musical flop. Ken Mandelbaum brilliantly conveys the strengths and weaknesses of each musical examined, giving insight as to the possible reasons for their early demise. If you love musical theatre and want to expand your knowledge and understanding of it, you will find this informative reading indispensable! It is a book you will turn to for reference time and again.

R. Burcham

Please Ken, update the book! There have been many more flops since this was published. "Not Since Carrie" is a great read - there aren't too many shows these days that open and close in the span of a week, or a few days. The financials simply don't allow for that anymore. So this is fascinating to read and get a glimpse of the theatrical past, which is often fleeting.

I have read NOT SINCE CARRIE from cover to cover several times. Ken Mendelbaum's writing is witty, entertaining, and informative. The first chapter, entitled "Catastrophes and Camp," is the most hilarious, conjuring up "ineffable mental pictures" (Mendelbaum's words) of such all-out Broadway fiascos as KELLY, LEGS DIAMOND, and PRINCE OF CENTRAL PARK. Later chapters, especially "Missed Opportunities" and "Heartbreakers and Cream," are both funny and fascinating, describing musicals that might have been hits but, for whatever reason, were not. The fifth chapter, "Don't Let This Happen To You," is the most interesting, explaining in depth the reasons WHY particular shows failed. Likewise, the book's epilogue examines the infamous CARRIE and finds that, after all, Stephen King's novel is not so bizarre a subject for a musical. Because Mendelbaum is such a knowledgable theatre historian and gifted writer, NOT SINCE CARRIE, riotously funny as it is, is also a valuable piece of musical theatre scholarship.

Whether appalled at something gone horribly wrong that had potential ("Carrie," "Do I Hear A Waltz?") or railing against a musical that was a bad deal from the start ("Clavell's Shogun: The Musical"), Ken Mandelbaum has written that classic text on how not to write a musical. Granted, many people will not take this sterling advice. At least we have the benefit of Mandelbaums narration of other's follies to warm us.

Plenty has been said about the most prominent examples of the American musical theatre repertoire; such classic shows as SOUTH PACIFIC, WEST SIDE STORY, and COMPANY have been endlessly dissected, analyzed, and deconstructed.

"Not Since Carrie," however, is the first book to take a look at the losers--the shows that, for one reason or another, failed to light up the Great White Way for long, bringing disgrace, financial loss, and (sometimes) embarrassment to all involved. The fact that the book is one of the few on musical theatre to do this is enough reason alone to pick up a copy, but Mandelbaum thankfully provides each entry with plenty of interesting information and insightful, witty commentary. Additionally, many of the shows have been lost to history (CARRIE, in particular, has been all but buried by its creators as an embarrassment), never having been recorded or having long out-of-print recordings (although studio cast recordings and rereleases of some shows have occured since the book was published), so this collection of information on the show is all casual fans have to remember the show.

If there is one criticism of the book, it is one that others below have noted: the book needs an update! In the 14 years since the book was published the Broadway scene has changed immeasurably and a new edition of the book ought to reflect that. I for one would love to hear Mandelbaum's thoughts on such recent notorious flops as DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES or LENNON, as well as more recent "heartbreakers" (A CLASS ACT, JANE EYRE THE MUSICAL).

All in all, this book represents a bit of a stepping stone for casual or beginning musical theatre lovers--once they've grown to fully appreciate the classics, they next turn to the far more fascinating story of flops, and "Not Since Carrie" is an indispensible primer.

Ken Mandelbaum's well-researched primer is as engaging, informative and blessedly editorial as one would hope -- an imperative for those sociologically inclined to examine the elements of "failure" as well as a delight (and ultimately dog-eared reference) for the musical theatre aficionado or novice.

Essential reading for show fans. A better history of American theatre than you'll get from any "comprehensive" dissertation. Mandelbaum's writing is sharp, funny, and concise -- and I suspect his research is absolutely correct. This is one book that I own two copies of -- one for rereading, one for lending. I now understand why "Mack & Mabel" never worked.